France to Stage Brexit Rehearsal in Port of Calais With Gove

(Bloomberg) -- The French government is holding a rehearsal for Brexit in the port of Calais Friday afternoon with U.K. minister Michael Gove as a special guest, Agence France-Presse reported.

French authorities have recruited 700 additional customs officials and upgraded their technological in an effort to ensure the smooth transit of goods in and out of the European Union after the U.K. leaves, AFP said. The new systems will be tested during Friday’s rehearsal.

With the risks of a no-deal Brexit rising as Prime Minister Boris Johnson seeks concessions from the EU, French customs officials will be in the eye of the storm as the two sides try to manage the transition. The U.K. is due to leave the EU on Oct. 31 and Johnson insists there will be no turning back at the last minute, whether or not there is a withdrawal agreement with the EU.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ben Sills in Madrid at bsills@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson at fjackson@bloomberg.net, Geraldine Amiel

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.